Degree Programs

Healthcare

Nursing - LPNs and LVNs must complete an accredited nurse training program. These programs award a certificate or diploma and typically take about 1 year to complete. They are commonly found in technical schools and community colleges, although some nursing programs may be available directly through hospitals. Practical nursing programs combine classroom learning in subjects such as nursing, anatomy, human physiology, biology, and pharmacology. Programs also include supervised clinical experience and hospital rotations.

Design Majors

Film making - Students may pursue film programs at specialized colleges, learning about film history, editing, screenwriting, cinematography, and the filmmaking process. Film makers may also have bachelors degrees in either journalism or communications. Stage directors, by comparison, may complete a degree in theater and go on to earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. Classes in this major include directing, playwriting, set design, and acting. Producers and directors might start out working in theatrical management offices as business or company managers. In television or film, they might start out as assistants or in other low-profile studio jobs.

Graphic Design - Good graphic design stems from an understanding of page design, like you'd see in a magazine. If you break down the elements that make up website design, such as color palettes and mobile graphics, you'll end up with commercial art that works well. Designers must be able to create visual concepts that inspire, inform, or captivate consumers, while art directors are responsible for the layout of pages, product packaging, or other elements that affect the overall appearance of a work. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits programs in studio art, computerized design, and graphics.

Fine Art - The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits more than 360 postsecondary colleges, universities, and independent institutes with programs in art and design. Most programs include courses in studio art, principles of design, computerized design, commercial graphics production, printing techniques, and website design. For many artists, including graphic designers, developing a portfolio is essential because employers rely on portfolios in making hiring decisions. Most established artists invest effort selling their artwork to potential customers, marketing their work online, and building a reputation.

Business majors

Management - There are a variety of approaches to project management. Critical chain management (CCPM) puts more emphasis on the resources required to execute tasks, while event chain methodology focuses on managing events that will affect scheduling. Regardless of the method you choose, the Small Business Administration advises listing out specific project objectives, create a working timeline of both materials and personnel, and monitor all required costs as the project proceeds. Project control means keeping on-track, on-time, and under budget.

Marketing - Marketing specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent, whether in private industry or for government agencies. Public relations, on the other hand, may involve designing media releases in an attempt to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and long-term goals. Publicity may require consultation with advertising agencies to arrange promotional campaigns in all types of print and digital media.

Finance - Assessing a company's stability requires the use of both income statements and balance sheet, as well as non-financial indicators. Financial analysts compare financial ratios of solvency, profitability, and growth, to better judge the value of a company's performance. Liquidity ratios measure the availability of cash to pay current liabilities, while debt ratios measure the firm's ability to repay long-term debt. Profitability ratios, on the other hand, gauge asset use and expense control, to generate a market rate-of-return. Financial ratios must be considered with care, because they depend on the accounting methods used. A discount rate is used to determine the present value of expected returns, and if a business anticipates being highly profitable in the short-term, it may be wiser to take out a bank loan, rather than expand the number of shares outstanding.

Accounting - Accountants and auditors ensure that financial records are accurate and that taxes are paid properly and on time. Public accountants work with financial documents that clients are required by law to disclose. These include tax forms and balance sheet statements that corporations must provide to potential investors. Budget analysts prepare budget reports and monitor institutional spending, while cost estimators collect and analyze accounting data. A certified public accountant (CPA) may utilize these reports in preparing summaries for managerial accounting purposes, as well as in tax filings and SEC reporting.

IT & Computer

Programming - Computer programmers write and test code that allows computer applications to function properly. The financial crisis has only strengthened the need for talented software engineers. C# combines the robustness of C++ with the advanced features of JAVA. The C# language is most easily compiled within Visual Studio IDE, a rapid-development platform. If you are writing a web-based application in ASP.NET, you will be required to code in C# or Visual Basic for the backend. The JAVA language further adds to the capabilities of C++, and is portable, independent of the underlying operating system.

Web Design - Website developers are responsible for both the graphical aspects of website design, as well as technical requirements including performance and capacity. In addition, either Android app development or iOS apps may be called for as an adjunct to mobile websites. Beyond a thorough background in HTML5 and CSS, webmasters must master JavaScript and PHP/mySQL.

Networking - Network and computer systems administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation of these networks. They organize, install, and support an organization?s computer systems, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), network segments, intranets, and other data communication systems. They must determine the system requirements and limitations, and make needed hardware and software upgrades to ensure that systems are operating correctly. They also maintain network security, and optimize system performance.